The SC bench also issued a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government on another petition filed by the victims of anti-Sikh riots in Kanpur, who have asked for an SIT probe into the murder of more than 125 people.

Anti-Sikh riots that broke out after the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had claimed 2,733 lives in Delhi alone. (HT File Photo)

The Supreme Court constituted on Wednesday a supervisory panel of its two retired judges to scrutinise 241 cases related to the anti-Sikh riots.

These cases were closed by the special investigation team (SIT) that the NDA government set up in 2015 to reinvestigate the riots that killed about 3,000 people after the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards on October 31, 1984.

Most of the people were murdered in New Delhi.

A top court bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra said the panel will submit its report within three months and fixed November 28 for the next hearing.

The names of the two judges were not disclosed. Justice Misra said they would be included in the formal order.

Wednesday’s order came on a petition filed by Gurnad Singh Kahlon.

The bench also issued a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government on another petition filed by the victims of anti-Sikh riots in Kanpur, who have asked for an SIT probe into the murder of more than 125 people.

Their counsel was asked to hand a copy of the petition to Uttar Pradesh additional advocate general Aishwarya Bhati and the court fixed September 21 to hear the case.

The SIT has closed 240 of the 293 cases it took up for reinvestigation.

The cases were chosen after the team scrutinised 630 cases registered by police in connection with the riots. Final investigation reports were filed only for five cases.

Senior counsel Arvind Datar and HS Phoolka, lawyers for the petitioner, said nine cases were being tried and demanded the trial to proceed every day.